Klara Prast (Comics)
Klara Prast is a young superheroine in Runaways, created by author Joss Whedon and artist Michael Ryan, the lone character that the duo added to the title as a permanent team member during their short tenure on the book (which Whedon hinted at doing when it was announced he would be taking over the writing duties). She is introduced in vol. 2 #28 and like every member of the runaways, her family ties have been awry; twelve year-old Klara lived to serve her abusive middle-aged husband. Klara's ability is to control, or "talk to" as she puts it, plants. When her family discovered her powers, they married her off to someone moving to America, (even though she was still a child), where she ran into the time displaced Runaways in 1907, who later brought her back to the present with them. Klara is roughly Molly's age, has a signature jet-black hair twisted in a braid, and gray eyes. Biography Volume Two Readers are first introduced to Klara after the Runaways helped to stop a fire in a factory full of children in New York City in the year 1907, where they had become displaced due to a time device created by Gert's parents. After the fire is put out, Karolina flies through the factory looking for survivors and comes across a bridge of rose vines through a hole in the wall and catches a glimpse of Klara as she runs away. Later that night, Karolina came across some similar roses and spied into a window where she saw young Klara about to be beaten by an older man for not selling the flowers for money, angering Karolina greatly. The next day, Karolina takes Molly with her to confront Klara about her powers, and tell her not to worry. When Molly asks if she'd like to join the team to get away from her abusive life, they are stunned to learn that it's not so easy for her, as the man Karolina saw was not her father, but her husband. As it turns out, Klara's family had married her off to Mr. Prast (who was traveling to America), and turned their backs on her, because her mother had seen her as something unholy and called her powers a "curse." Karolina and Molly manage to persuade Klara to come with them, albeit hesitantly, Klara gets scared and runs off after seeing Karolina and Xavin, in her female form, have an intimate moment, something her Christian upbringing makes her perceive as "disgusting", as well as the fact that Xavin's form is of an African American. Molly confronts her on this and leaves her saddened, saying she's acting just like another grown up. Klara returns home after this as evidenced by the fact that after finding the Runaways just after their great alley battle, she turns up battered and bruised by her husband, and the team gladly still accepts for her to come with them. They then all travel in the Leapfrog back to the exact point in time from which the team originally left. Powers and Abilities Klara is a chlorokinetic (as suggested by her name, a mutation of chloroplast), who can control and manipulate the growth and movement of plants at will. She likes to describe this ability as "talking to" the plants, something she says she did back on her family's farm in Bern. She appears to be able to manipulate any kind of plant material, but has an affinity for roses since they "speak back" to her. When frightened, Klara demonstrates her powers in a violent ability; after seeing Karolina and Xavin have an intimate moment, she runs off. Molly, who catches up to her, finds her way blocked by large violent vines that have risen from the ground, shielding Klara. Furthermore, the plants she manipulates also seem to react to Klara's emotions; such as when Molly leaves Klara saddened after confronting her on her attitude toward her friends, the roses on the vines begin to wilt. Personality and Relationships After Klara arrives bruised and battered, Karolina's anger is at a peak where she implies she'd go after Klara's husband due to how she feels for the young girl. Besides Karolina, Molly is the one member Klara connects well with, because of their ages, even though it can seem that Klara is "much older and wiser than Molly because of the way she's grown up and the life she's experienced already." Klara is shown to call Xavin a "negress", and is, for the most part, uncomfortable around homosexuals. This is largely because of her up-bringing and was common during the time in which she was raised; this attitude may have changed when they adopted her as a member. Despite her behavior, Xavin has shown indignation after Klara arrives injured. The team is surprised to learn that she is married. Category:Comics Category:Characters Category:Comic Characters